"Any word yet?" Rachel
burst into the control room and the start Alex felt just
brought a fresh spring of tears behind her eyes. Nick
loved scaring her like that whenever he could, had done
it twice in the past few days. She knew that he had been
in danger countless times before but it was always
immediate, the consequences would come quickly. This time
the effects could linger on for years. "Alex, has
Derek called?"

Rachel placed her hands gently on her friend's
shoulders, sensing the suffering that Alex was going
through. She had been planning to come over anyway when
Alex called her to tell her that Derek wanted her waiting
at the house to talk to Tangye. Though Alex had been
worried when she talked to her earlier it hadn't seemed
as desperate as the look now on her face implied. She
cursed herself for forgetting her cell phone on the
kitchen table in the rush that morning to get Kat off to
school.

"Oh God Rachel, where have you been?" Alex
turned and hugged her friend tightly.

"I'm sorry, what's happened?" Alex shook her
head, not sure how to explain. She knew she had sent
Philip into a frenzy with her call. Now she just didn't
know how to explain. "Alex, listen to me, I need to
know what's happened." Her voice was soothing but it
seemed to have little effect. She put her hands on Alex's
thin shoulders, forcing her to look at her. She could
read the anguish in her eyes.

"Nick." Rachel's heart lurched hearing the
name. She controlled her emotions though knowing that
someone had to be strong right now.

"What about him, has he been hurt?" She
demanded, more sharply then she intended.

"We don't know. He made it into the house and
Derek was thrown out. Derek can't get in to him. Rachel,
that thing, whatever it is, kept the girl in there for
seven years. How do we know it can't do the same thing to
Nick? That it hasn't already won? We don't know what to
do to fight it. They went in blind, I told them that, why
wouldn't they listen to me?" She pleaded for answers
that Rachel didn't have.

"What have you been able to find out? About the
spirits in there?" Rachel turned to the computer
catching a brief glimpse of one of Nick's mugs he tended
to leave all over the place. She fought back the surge of
emotion just seeing it caused. Feelings of loss
overcoming her logic. They hadn't lost yet and Nick would
never give up on them so early.

"Nothing. We weren't even sure that it is the
spirits from the hotel, it was just a guess. I don't
believe it was though and that means I'm no closer to an
answer. I'm still looking though. I called Philip too.
Derek might need help." She strove to regain her
composure and professionalism.

"If nothing else he'll need support. And despite
their problems Philip loves Nick, maybe that in itself
will help." Rachel ignored the searing emotions in
her own heart; she had a job to do. And they weren't
giving up until Nick came home.

*****

He didn't even think about the fact he was now trapped
with her. That she hadn't been able to escape for so long
and now he was in the same situation with her. Instead he
just focused on his seemingly in vain attempts to comfort
her. He sighed heavily not knowing what steps he should
take, so he just stroked at her soft brown hair. Still
she wouldn't lift her head from where she had it pressed
into his chest. Her body shook with her sobs and her arms
snaked around his waist keeping him close to her. He
started whispering to her if only to fill the void.

"I just realized we haven't been introduced, I'm
Nick Boyle." He had no idea what to say so he
decided to just ramble. "I work for the Luna
Foundation, used to be a Navy SEAL. That was a long time
ago though and it's a complicated story. I'm the chief of
security for the Luna Foundation now. I don't know if
you've heard of it. We deal with antiquities,
philanthropic in nature." Nick added with a grin. He
suddenly felt that it was very important to tell her
everything. That someway it would help her to know the
truth about his life. "Actually, um, I work in this
organization, an ancient society. It's been around for
three thousand years. I'm sworn to secrecy about it
though."

She stirred slightly in his arms; her mind still
locked on keeping them back. He realized that she was
hearing him so he kept talking if only it kept her
occupied away from her fear. "But.. Okay, okay stop
pestering me, you weaseled it out of me. It's called the
Legacy. It was formed to protect the innocent in the
world. We fight the forces of darkness, demons, ghosts,
and their ilk. We hide behind the guise of other
organizations all over the world. Basically we've made it
our job to fight evil in whatever form it takes, no
matter how impossible. Sounds crazy doesn't it?" He
felt better, stronger, having given her the truth.
Knowing there were others out there that knew about the
things that she saw might give her the strength to fight
again. Shed some of the loneliness she must have been
entrenched in for years.

She lifted her head to look into his dark eyes,
shaking her head as her only response. "Doesn't
sound crazy to you, huh? Well then that makes me feel a
little better." He grinned again. "My father
was a member of the Legacy, I guess in a way he passed it
on to me though I don't like to think of it that way. I
avoided doing it for awhile but something about what they
were doing seemed right. I spent a long time just
wandering without really knowing where I was headed. I
found a purpose in the Legacy." That brought a smile
forth and he sighed with relief at the expression.

He believed he was making progress, at least she was
finally responding to him. Her eyes seemed more focused.
Deciding that if that's what it took to get through to
her he was willing to talk forever. Eventually her hold
on him slackened a bit. She sat up so that she could look
more closely into his face.

He kept talking whispering in her ears telling her
about the other members of the Legacy, about some of
their cases, about his years as a SEAL, about anything
that he could think of to keep her away from her pain. He
was amazed by some of the things that came pouring out of
his mouth, things he couldn't remember telling anyone
else, things he had never thought to tell anyone. He held
her in his arms tightly, finally her tears stopped and
she just stared at his face a determined look in her
eyes.

The voices had grown louder and louder, their anger
threatening to drive her insane now even after she had
survived so much. But she was fighting them, not giving
the voices credence, instead concentrating on the soft
voice of the man before her. Allowing his stories to seep
into her, using his obvious strength and conviction to
fuel what she felt she was losing in the battle for her
life.

"Tangye stop this, it's nonsense. Dammit Tangye
Mauveen." Windows would have shattered at the
scream, had it reached human ears. Had it not been
focused only in her head.

*****

The inactivity infuriated him. The woman tested every
ounce of patience he had. Countless times he wanted to
scream at her to stop crying and focus. She wasn't any
help though. She had no idea what might be causing this
or what they could do. Seven years. The thought was
inescapable to him. Tangye had been robbed of seven years
and set adrift. The one person that could have helped her
was long dead and evidently prevented from acting by the
powers holding her. Then something had forced Charles'
hand. What had it been?

He suffered through the barrage of questions in his
mind his face showing the frustration over his inability
to answer them as well as his frustration at this woman.
What had Charles been trying to tell him in the dream?
What if Charles had been wrong too? What if he couldn't
get them out? How would he explain to Christine that he
failed so miserably in his vow to watch out for Nick? How
would he tell Philip that he lost his brother? How would
he ever forgive himself?

"I'm sorry Dr. Rayne but I really don't know what
has gotten a hold on Tangye and your friend. If I did I
would have done something before." She couldn't
fight the tears and for a moment Derek felt guilty over
pushing her so hard, yelling at her so loudly. That
emotion was brief though when he remembered the girl's
face as she looked up at him from the stairs. When he saw
in him minds eye the expression on Nick's face right
before they went up to the house. That hurt little boy
look so desperate for someone to help him. Knowing that
boy was grown into a man now wanting to help someone as
he had never been aided. His anger swelled.

"But you didn't, you waited five years without
seeing a child you loved, knowing she was locked in
there. You didn't help." The ring of his cellular
phone broke into his ranting; he cursed under his breath
in Dutch and answered it. "Derek."

"Have they come out yet?" Alex's anxious
voice hardly waited for him to get his name out.

"No, they haven't. I'm with the neighbor."
From his tone alone she knew that the woman was getting
raked over the coals, even if she didn't deserve it. Now
that whatever was in the house had Nick though, and she
had ignored it for so long, Alex wasn't sure she didn't
deserve all Derek would dish out to her. "Alex we
were wrong, I'm sure of it. This is about her not her
great-grandfather. Keep looking into the spirits she saw
when she was younger. Identify as many of them as you
can. I think it must be two of them come back for some
reason. Or more. Dammit."

Alex tried to keep her voice calm hoping to bring him
off the emotional roller coaster. "I called Philip.
I told him what happened and he's on the way to you now.
Hopefully he can help you." She paused wishing she
were with him. "Derek, he'll be fine. This is Nick
we're talking about." Maybe the statement would have
worked if she could have sounded the tiniest bit
convincing.

"Why do you think this has to do with her
great-grandfather?" He had forgotten Janet was still
there with him. "And what is this about
spirits?"

Derek wanted to continue yelling at her. To let her
know that she never had done anything but her hand had
been merely used as a tool for the one individual who was
always trying to save Tangye. His next verbal attack was
held though when he heard the screech of tires out on the
street. He turned and ran from the door. There was a van
hazardously parked on the street in front of the two
houses with the driver side door standing open. Philip
was already running up the lawn. Derek remembered the
young priest's dislike of driving yet he obviously had
done so recklessly in his concern for Nick. Derek hated
thinking he had to explain how all this had happened. He
didn't want to face the accusation in Philip's eyes that
once again by keeping too much to himself Derek had put
one of them in danger. For Philip it would be worse
because it was Nick.

*****

Her head was pounding, her vision slowly blurring due
to the pain; she couldn't withstand their power much
longer. Her eyes were bloodshot as he looked at them and
he felt helpless to aid her in whatever private war she
was engaged.

"You can't hold out much longer can you? You've
never used your talents like this before. You've always
let your friends in; you cared for them so much. Why do
you fight us?" She didn't waste the energy it would
take to answer. It was taking everything she had left
just to maintain the barrier that kept them out of the
room. Argument or discussions were both pointless.
"Doesn't matter, you're going to lose." His
words burned into her.

"Child can't you see that we're trying to protect
you? That we love you? You're so young, you can't be left
alone with him." The woman's accursed voice echoed
in her mind.

"Tangye, can you hear me?" Nick put his hand
under her chin making her turn her eyes to him. She gave
him a weak smile not hearing him over the battle in her
mind but knowing what he had said all the same. It was
the smile of an angel. "You still have a voice don't
you? You just gotta find it again. When you do that you
can tell me what's happening. I promise you that I will
help you defeat this."

"Enough, he can't beat us." She wanted to
scream, wanted to cry out from the pain but instead just
shook in his arms. As though she were on the verge of
freezing the powerful waves ran through every muscle in
her body. It had been a pain beyond words, a snapping of
the power she had so focused on one objective. She
realized in that instant she had lost and they were both
doomed.

*****

Alex typed away at the computer entering in the names
that Rachel read off to her from the journal and doctors
reports. The searches were being run but were pouring out
countless answers. There would be no way they could hope
to sort through all of it and find the two that might now
be torturing the child they once visited.

She had to wonder why this would happen. Why were the
spirits suddenly turned violent? None of the stories that
Tangye related in the journal described any malicious
spirits. She spoke of them all with great fondness and
even love. Why would they return years later not as
playmates but torturers? It didn't feel any more right
then the answer of the two spirits from the hotel.

She still felt the answer should be right in front of
them though. She thought over all of the various warnings
they had received. She was glad that Derek had finally
confessed to her about the dreams he had been having,
particularly the one where Charles said that this was not
about him. That at least seemed to narrow their search,
if not for the fact that Tangye had seemed to have over
fifty spirit friends as a child. Still none of the clues
they had been given leaned towards the answer of whom.

They were told that Tangye had the power to defeat
whatever was attacking and holding her prisoner she just
had to find it in herself to do something. That she
forgot the little things. What did Charles mean by that?
What little fact had she forgotten that could bring an
end to such pain? If the answer was simple why had
someone as seemingly bright as Tangye Gaarlihn not
recognize it.

"Alex are you okay?" Rachel interrupted her
thoughts when she noticed that Alex had stopped typing.

"Trying to be." She sat back wiping at her
eyes trying to force them to focus. "I talked to my
grandmother last night. She said she had a dream about
what she called 'the little one.' That felt that we
didn't need all the information, that if we followed our
hearts we could help her. I guess I'm just trying to
figure out how that can be it." Rachel seemed
suddenly interested in her words.

"She said little one? But Tangye is an
adult." Rachel asked anxiously.

"Kat had a dream too. She saw a child about her
age. Evidently she asked why someone would hurt her if
they loved her. Then a man appeared and said that only
she could do something about it." Rachel's voice was
hurried and Alex's face seemed suddenly excited.

"That's almost the same thing that Charles said
to Derek. You think it was Tangye in Kat's dream? That
she saw her as a child because it would be easier to
identify with?" Alex asked eagerly. Rachel didn't
even get the chance to speak before she went on.
"And seeing a child would get more of a reaction out
of my grandmother too. I think we're finally onto
something. Whatever is doing this should care about
her."

"And the spirits that visited her as a child
didn't know her until after they died. She wouldn't
consider them as needing to love her. She would want them
to but it wouldn't necessarily be expected of them."
The truth hit her suddenly. "Alex?"

"I know. There seems to be only one pair that
should." Alex said sadly as she typed. She turned
off the search and switched the screen to the picture.

The man's face smiled down at his daughter full of
pride. The love there was almost tangible to both women
as they looked at his face. They had believed that it
started because her parents were no longer there to
protect her, never wanting to consider the other obvious
possibility. Both women felt dread sink into their souls
as they faced the truth.

*****

She looked over his shoulder and there they stood,
smiling at her. Pleased at their accomplishment.
Satisfied to gloat in her fear of them for a few moments.
They did not move toward the two living figures in the
room. Instead they just watched their interaction with a
growing disgust. They hated the way he held onto her so
tightly. How he stroked her hair back and tried to keep
her tears at bay. The way her arms wrapped around his
waist and her face rested again on his shirt. But they
also reveled in the anticipation over what she could only
dream they had planned.

He sensed the change in her as she clutched to him all
the more. Feeling her fear spread into him renewed his
sense of urgency, still he didn't know what to fight.

*****

Philip stood on the porch; he could sense the evil
that had permeated the once happy Gaarlihn home. Derek
had given him as many details as he could get out of the
precept in his anxious state and sadly he knew that Derek
didn't have much more to offer.

What in the hell had he and Nick been thinking? They
had no concrete understanding about what was happening
and yet came here anyway. A part of him knew just what
they were thinking and he doubted he would have behaved
differently. But why did Nick have to be at risk again
just because he wanted to help someone? The priest's
heart went out to the young woman. He feared with all his
soul for his friend. He whispered the prayers hoping to
banish whatever monsters had crept their way into the
house, but still he didn't know what he was expected to
fight.

Nick had been in the house for nearly three hours now,
hours that had left Derek a nervous wreck, pacing now
behind Philip in the lawn. They hadn't heard a sound, no
screaming, no pleas, nothing to indicate the captives
were in immediate danger, nothing to indicate they were
even alive. Philip fought back his fear at that thought
and began another series of exorcisms and prayers.
Nothing changed.

The precept of the San Francisco Legacy house
anxiously paced the front yard, wishing something would
happen, wishing he had a single answer in the puzzle of
Tangye Gaarlihn. He tried to turn his Sight on, force it
to give him some information, but knew it rarely worked
that way. He fought to put all the pieces that he had
together to form some type of solution but his mind just
would not wrap around the problem in the proper way.
During all of that time he never realized the phone in
his inside breast pocket that wanted to reach out to him
with answers had run out of battery power an hour ago.

Behind him, at the curb Mrs. Janet Albertson watched
the whole scene, wondering if the Dutchman had been
right, if it had been in her power to prevent all of
this.

*****

"Come on, talk to me Tangye, what is it that you
are seeing?" She shook her head looking over his
shoulder with fear. "Don't look at it, just look at
me okay?" He took her chin in his hand and turned
her head to face his eyes. "That's better. You've
got to find your voice. I know you're seeing something
but I have no idea what it could be. All I know is that
it's obviously hurting you; it's something you haven't
been able to fight alone. I want to help you, if you'll
let me. You have to figure out a way to let me."
Again she shook her head looking past him. A tear forming
in the corner of her eye. "Why? Do you think I can't
fight it?" Finally he got a nod out of her.
"Okay, then that's something. Is whatever it is here
now?" She didn't respond and somehow he knew that it
meant she couldn't.

He looked around the room trying to see whatever it
was that had her so frightened, knowing that he wouldn't
succeed. His frustration was building when her hand came
up to his face. This time it was she who forced him to
turn back and look at her again. "It's okay, I'm
right here, I don't want to go anywhere but I need your
help. I know you can talk to me, I'm sure of it that
much. Maybe we can find some other way for you to
communicate with me. This all started when your parents
died, had they protected you from this thing until
then?" She shook her head and he almost recognized
the look in her eyes but then they turned back to the
corner. "So it just worked out that way? These
things saw an opportunity and took it?"

She gritted her teeth desperately wanting to speak.
She wanted to let him know how wrong he was. How much the
suggestions he was making hurt her, he had such faith in
people he never knew. Why? Why should he believe in them
at all? Why would he think that her parent's deaths had
left room for the monsters to enter? In fact it had
created them. "That's wrong too? I don't.." She
suddenly put her finger over his mouth to keep him from
speaking.

"What do you think you're doing young lady?"
Her father spoke and with as much spite as possible she
threw the thought back at him.

"What you wanted me to do before you died. I'm
growing up. Finding my own way. Have you missed the fact
this stranger is willing to risk everything to help me?
How can I not do the same for him? I'll do whatever I
have to so I can ensure that no one else is going to get
hurt in my name. Now leave here." Her silent voice
demanded, no longer was there fear there at the moment.

"We will not. We're your parents, this is our
house." She heard the hint of doubt in his voice.
Did he finally start to realize that she wasn't as
powerless as he thought all these years? Did he finally
see that she might be something to fear?

"You are my dead parents, and the house is mine
now. Leave me alone." Again her voice was forceful.
Conveying a surprising strength. She had tried for so
long to convey this thought to them but they refused to
ever listen to her. It was all she needed for them to
understand.

"No." He demanded for her to listen but she
refused. She would not let herself hear them anymore; she
would not allow them to have any sort of hold of her.

"What will it take for you to go?" Her
mental voice was a mix of desperation and anger. She felt
the anger slowly creeping back over her and sensing it
there relieved her. In it could lie all the hope they had
to regain their freedom.

"Listen to me okay Tangye?" Nick's eyes were
so soft as he looked into hers; his genuine concern was
obvious. "We can fight this thing, whatever it is,
that's what the Legacy is all about. Fighting things that
seem impossible."

"He's a fool." The man laughed but it seemed
more a nervous emotion then an amused one.

"But I need to know what to fight." Nick
went on not hearing the interruption. Looking at her face
up close, staring into her stunning eyes, he felt an even
stronger urge then before to do something for her.

"She won't tell him." Her mothers smile is
what finally did it, that contemptuous grin that made her
so angry. She leaned forward and kissed him. She wasn't
really sure what she hoped to prove by doing it. Maybe
just show them that they couldn't control her actions.
Maybe it would show them she was no longer the child they
tried to capture her as.

It had been so long since she had been in contact with
anyone at all, especially in this way. After a few
moments her motives didn't really matter. He returned her
kiss slowly, with hesitation at first but gradually she
felt him give in to it. His hands held onto each of her
cheeks while hers slowly found their way to his hair.
After a few moments he pulled back to look at her.

"That was unexpected." He traced his fingers
down her cheek. "Nice but a surprise. When I first
saw your picture, it was weird. I'm usually fairly
leery of getting close to people but when I saw your
picture I felt like I had to. I had to do something for
you. I dreamt about you for the past two nights and it's
been a long time since I felt that good. God, I can't
even believe I'm saying this. I've never I feel like
I know you, or should." He knew this wasn't the
proper time for any of this. He also knew that it all
could just stem from his instincts to help those too weak
to help themselves. His motives didn't matter though, nor
did the timing. In the back of his mind he knew there was
a chance they wouldn't make it out of here and he was
reminded of that truth by the bruise on her face. He let
doubt and hesitation slip away from him and just held
onto the memory of the happiness he had felt in his
dreams the past two nights.

He leaned back in but just before their lips met he
was grabbed from behind and thrown across the room. His
form slammed into the wall with a sickening thud freezing
Tangye's heart for a moment. Her eyes grew wide with
shock, though she should have been expecting as much, but
she had let herself get caught up in his words. For a
scant few moments her parent's spirits had felt very far
away, beyond the ability to hurt her. Her horror took
over as her father began to approach Nick's dazed form.
"How dare you. In front of us. She's just a baby. I
was going to kill you anyway but now you'll suffer for
what you just did. And I will enjoy it."

*****

"There's so much I haven't told him. So much that
he wouldn't listen to. Derek why did I let that
happen?" Philip turned to look at his mentor and
friend. Looking for answers and receiving none. Derek
almost had to turn away from the unbridled regret he saw
in Philip's blue eyes.

"Nick did too Philip. He just couldn't ever
accept that you would just quit the Legacy." He
answered calmly knowing his words meant little. Philip
was excellent at taking the blame for things on himself
and this would not be any different.

"He never cared about that really it was just a
cover. The problem was that I let him think I quit on
him. How could I do that to him? He's lost so much why
did I let him think I was just another thing that refused
to stay in his life for the long haul? What if I don't
get to correct that?" Philip closed his eyes tightly
wishing away the remorse.

"And why do I fight with him? Philip we both have
our regrets, and so does he. I know that you're scared
but for now we have to believe that he's alive. That
we'll get him out." 'She must do it now. She has to
be the one.' The voice struck Derek in his mind with the
power of a physical blow. 'She is the only hope your
friend has. He is to be the example and she alone can
prevent that.'

"Can we do nothing to help?" Philip spoke
his desperation.

Realization dawned on Derek finally. "Whatever
has her intends to kill Nick as a warning for her to be
left alone." His voice didn't waiver as he dealt
with the knowledge.

"What?" Philip blurted out at Derek's sudden
proclamation. How could he say something like that so
calmly? How did he suddenly know that?

"We've done what we can Philip, the rest is up to
her." He turned suddenly to Janet, another element
clicking into focus. "You said that she took risks
with her own life?"

"All the time. It wasn't like she wanted to die
but she just never fought for it too hard, she liked to
live on the edge." She answered him quickly fearing
that she might inadvertently send him into another rage
and knowing she couldn't endure it.

"Sounds familiar." Philip said dryly.

"And she shares another trait with Nick. She
would never stand by and watch another be hurt. Like when
she tried to protect the little boy. She must have known
the risks of going up against an angry spirit but she did
it to help the child. That is what brings out the fight
in her." Derek returned his eyes to the house. For
the first time knowing what Charles had been trying to
communicate to him. He still had no idea of what she was
being forced to go up against but at least now he had
someone confirming that she could fight it.

"So you're saying that while the spirits see Nick
as a lesson, he'll be motivation for her?" Derek
merely nodded, praying he was right.

*****

In a moment snatched out of real time she remembered
the instant of greatest agony in her young life. She
remembered his face so clearly and would be forever
haunted by it. He was the only other one that ever made
an effort of find her salvation and that had been years
ago. She saw his face in her mind where the monsters once
her parents had always kept it prominent to remind her of
her own helplessness. Bloodied and torn he had looked up
at her for a moment through the pain. "It's
okay," he had whispered to her. But he had been
wrong, horribly wrong.

The anger swelled within her chest viciously. For the
first time the memory did not make her feel weak and
incompetent. Instead it empowered her with unrestrained
fury moving her past any other emotion. She slipped into
the anger, allowing it to engulf her every pore, every
corner of her mind. There wasn't a single bit of her
scared anymore; not a single bit of doubt could be left
in the face of what she now felt in her heart.

"Yes I shall enjoy this." The man's voice
growled with pure evil.

"No." The word burst forth before she could
even consider the fact that it had been so long since
anyone heard her speak. There was no holding it back now.
She lunged across the room placing herself in between
Nick's crumpled figure and the haze of her father. Her
blue-gold eyes were cold and unforgiving as theirs had
been on her for all those years. Her stance was taunt
with her increasing emotional state. "No more, not
again. Just back the hell up." She yelled, her voice
struggling to hold onto its volume despite the raw pain
it caused in her throat.

"Tangye get away from him. He must be an example
and he must be punished." Her father's spirit issued
the order sure she would obey.

"I will not. You've been torturing me for years
now, it's enough. When you died you loved me, what
happened, what twisted you?" She demanded back. Her
voice did not waiver so much as an inch.

"I can get at him without hurting you, you know
that." She glanced down and saw the handle of Nick's
gun from under his shirt. The other option, the one she
had not wanted to face but that had been dwelling in the
back of her mind for so long now. If it came down to it
what choice did she have? At least then this whole
nightmare existence could finally end.

In a swift movement she swept down and grabbed it,
placing it solidly under her chin.

"Now you can't. You move on him and I'll pull the
trigger. You can't hide from me, you know that. You can't
bluff me and say you'll leave just to stop me and not
follow threw. You stay and I swear I will pull the
trigger, the only way I live is if you die already."
She paused hearing Nick issue a low moan behind her. She
added with all her hate. "I will die before I let
you hurt him and I will spend all of eternity hiding from
you and then you will have lost me forever. Is that what
you want? Is this the only solution you've left me to
escape from you?"

"Tangye don't, please. We couldn't abandon you,
we knew you could see us, we thought we could stay with
you." The woman, the damn woman was trying to
justify this? She made her voice pleading but it did no
good to get through to her child.

"And stay you have, denying me everyone else in
the world. I can't take it anymore. I'd rather die then
live this way another day." Nick groaned again from
behind her, stirring back into consciousness. He heard
her voice for the first time, not really making out words
at first but only the sound. In his clouded consciousness
he let his mind wander. Her voice, it was just as he
suspected. Even in her rage and desperation her voice was
the sweetest music he could remember. Maybe only it would
have that effect on him but it was there all the same.
Gentle music that could guide him to sleep in the dead of
night no matter what plagued him. Caressing music that he
knew he could trust without reservation, which could
sooth his anger with a whisper.

Then he realized what she had said with that voice.

"Tangye, put down the gun, please." He
pleaded in a weak voice, slowly sitting up.

"You don't understand Nick, he'll kill you for
getting near me, this is the only way to stop him."
Her voice kept cracking in the middle of her words and
she was amused to find how much such a simple thing
compounded her emotions. They caused her to remain silent
and brought on the pain of using her voice again. Indeed,
James, you taught me well.

"Who?" Nick asked trying to focus on the
situation.

"My father." The statement hit him hard in
the chest. Throughout the investigation they had assumed
her parents deaths had left the door open for something
else to enter and hurt her. It had never crossed any of
their minds that it could be her parents themselves doing
this. They had heard all the descriptions of the Gaarlihn
family and trusted them. If any of them should have known
better is was he. Didn't he accuse Derek once of the same
thing. Assuming everything was fine in the Boyle home
because it looked okay? He remembered the way she had
shook her head at every suggestion he had made about what
was haunting her and finally knew why he thought
something in her eyes looked familiar to him. It was the
same look he caught in his own eyes when his guard was
down and he saw himself in the mirror. The betrayal he
had always felt having been turned on by someone that
should have loved and protected him. The look of prey. A
scared hunted creature being pursued by something much
more skilled. He cursed himself for the blindness.

"A man who once loved me, but was twisted somehow
into only wanting to guard me from everything. That's
what has kept me locked alone in this house, they
threatened everyone that came near me, told me what they
would do to them, eventually it grew too violent for me
to face it so I locked myself up in here and hid from
everyone." She glanced down at him with sad eyes,
but they held conviction for her decision. He saw that
she had come to this conclusion long ago and had probably
just been trying to deny the inevitability of it. But she
would not stand by and let anyone be hurt. "He can
kill you, dead or not. I won't let that happen just
because you believed I was still here somehow locked
away."

"Tangye I am your father." The spirit's
voice reached Nick this time, his masquerade destroyed he
could finally show his face to others beside his
daughter.

'Were, don't you get it you're dead. I'm supposed to
accept that eventually, why won't you let me move on?
Once the thing you most wanted was to watch me grow up,
what changed?' Nick realized he was hearing her voice in
his head somehow, her lips no longer forming words but
remaining instead locked in a thin line.

"We weren't here to watch it." Nick jerked
his head in the direction of the bed. A woman stood there
and he instinctively knew who it was.

'But you were, I never would have denied you that. You
could have come back peacefully and I would have been so
happy, now all I want is for you to leave. You robbed me
of thousands of happy memories, of good days, all
replaced by the past seven years. You took them from me
and they should have been mine. But now they are gone,
just vanished. I demand you give me my life back, even if
death is the only way I can have it.' Her voice held no
sadness over the loss anymore. She was just convinced of
a need to find whatever end possible.

"Paul back up, please. She's our baby."
Tangye inadvertently flinched to hear her say that. She
was not the child of these abominations.

"Our baby, exactly and this monster thinks he has
a right to her." Her father started to approach Nick
again and she just shoved the gun harder against her
chin. Reminding him who was in control of the situation
at the moment. Successfully freezing him in his
progression.

"He does. Anyone does now but you. You threw away
your chance with me and nothing could ever earn it
back." She snapped with her real voice and that said
it, she would never forgive them. They would have to
leave for her to live; there would be no making amends.

Nick slowly got to his feet, terrified of letting her
hold the gun. She was willing to die to protect him, and
he would die to keep her from sacrificing herself.

"Please don't do this, not for me." Nick
gently placed his hand on her arm and with the touch she
felt his own pain. He knew exactly what she was going
through. She let his hand push down on her arm and lower
the gun.

Immediately with the danger passed her father struck
Nick again sending him crashing back into the wall behind
him and in the same motion snatching the gun from her
hand. Her father tackled Nick and knocked his head into
the wall. "For God's sake make him stop." She
screamed at the second haze.

"Why should he? This is our house, you're our
child. We make the rules here." She remembered how
different these figures were from her parents as they
lived. Her gentle, trusting parents whom had always
believed in her own judgement rather then pile on a bunch
of ridiculous regulations.

'You died, don't you understand what that's supposed
to mean?' She fought her rage, hoping she could elicit
sympathy from whatever might be left of her mother.

"It doesn't mean you just forget us." The
woman snapped but Tangye was sure she heard some doubt in
the voice too.

'It wouldn't have. Seven years ago you died as the
things I loved most in the world, now I beg you to leave
as that which I hate the most. I wouldn't have forgotten
you but now I can't. I have forgotten all the happy
memories though, is that what you want? To be etched in
my mind forever as a living nightmare?' She crossed to
the woman, wishing she could grab her and shake some
sense into her.

"No, we tried to make you remember. You were
happy with us once." Her voice was desperate, as
realization of what they had done seemed to dawn on her.

"Too long ago now." Tangye said numbly.

"You let all the others in why did you fight
us?" The woman protested, trying to hold onto her
conviction that this was right.

"Because of what you came back as. My friends
came for a short while, they loved me and enjoyed
watching me grow up. They loved to tell me stories about
all the things I could do when I grew up. They were
prepared to let me age, to let go when the time came. You
refuse to do that, you have refused me my future."
She said, sure now that she had begun to get through to
her.

"Just one without us." The man hit Nick
trying to get his child to focus on him rather then his
wife. He could see her words seeping into the woman, she
was having and effect on her and without her what chance
did he have to hold on?

"You died for God's sake. Dammit you died."
She screamed her voice breaking. 'If I'm to have a future
it was to be without you.' She knew if she could get
through to one of them that it would be the haze in her
mother's form. She fought back the anguish of listening
to the blows Nick was receiving and tried one last
effort. 'Remember what you told me when I was packing for
college? You told me that it was hard to let me go but
you knew it was time. You had taught me what you could
and now it was time to let the world teach me. You said
it was hard but you were sure I would survive. Well I'm
asking you now to keep your promise, let me go.' She
spoke quickly to the woman alone.

The woman's eyes flinched, Tangye realized she almost
had her. "But.."

'No. I won't hear you now. There's no explanation for
this, no justification. And there's sure as hell no
apology good enough. Make him stop, take him with you and
go to hell where you belong.' She snapped, sure that for
if ever her constant damning of them would work it would
be now.

"Don't you love us?" The woman pleaded and
Tangye fought the urge to laugh in her face over such a
question. She had to stay in control though, not back
down an inch and give the woman no reason to allow the
man's anger to effect her.

'Don't you remember these years? How can you even ask
me that? I once loved my parents totally and without
hesitation. But you taught me to hate anything in their
forms. Go before I don't even have the memories left of
the love that I felt for them, because they are fading
too quickly.' She knew the resolve of her mother's spirit
had finally broke and for the first time in seven years
winning seemed possible. 'Mother please take him away, I
know you can, you can make him leave with you. For me?'

"Tangye he's just trying to protect you."
She spoke without conviction now.

'From everything, from the life he once prayed I would
have. You lose your life so I lose mine? That's not
fair.' The blows continued behind her. 'Make him stop, if
you love me at all, make him stop.'

"Paul don't, look what you're doing to
Tangye." Tangye closed her eyes in momentary relief;
she had succeeded in half the battle.

"She will learn that we will protect her."
The man snapped, furious that his wife had given in and
focusing that new anger of betrayal on Nick.

"She knows Paul, but she doesn't need us anymore.
She can do it for herself now, I think she always could.
She was raised to be able to, unfortunately not by us.
Others took the time to teach her the important lessons.
Why didn't we do that?" Her mother's voice was as
desperate as her child's was.

"Dammit don't argue with him, just make him
leave." Tangye screamed, her voice breaking again.

"She will always need us, we're her
parents." The man demanded his words be heard but
both women succeeded in ignoring him, not being
convinced.

"And once we always knew that she would become an
adult capable of taking care of herself. Remember when
she walked across the stage and got her diploma, do you
remember Paul what you said to me?" He stopped
beating Nick and turned to his wife. Tangye was amazed to
see the woman's face and realized for the first time in
seven years she was looking once again at the mother she
remembered. "You said that our little girl was a
woman now, that it was so hard letting her go, but we had
to. And you were right. Now say goodbye to your daughter
and let's move on" She issued the words as an order.

"Never. That was different, she would have still
been our lives, you're asking me to let her go
forever." He struck out at the woman, somehow his
power sending her flying across the room. Tangye knew now
that no one would ever defeat this man with reason. She
gathered her will one last time surprised to find that
she was actually mad that he dared strike her mother.

"That's it. You've done the damage and now it's
my turn. She was right most of what I was taught as a
child was taught by others then you and you can't guess
what some of that was." She grabbed hold of his
spirit, forcing his hand to freeze mid-blow. "I'm
not asking now." She locked down her mind onto his,
holding it completely within her grasp. He seemed to
finally realize what was happening and marveled that she
had held this ability all along but never used it. Had
she been hoping something would change, giving them a
chance to redeem themselves rather then give up on them?

"You're my little girl Tangye." For a moment
she thought she saw her father's eyes in there again but
didn't care anymore, her face cold to his image.

"Not anymore." She pushed, with everything
she had left she shoved him away. She severed the ties
that had been holding him to the house. In an elongated
stretch of light and with a blood-curdling scream he
vanished to the beyond.

A few moments of silence passed as they all realized
what she had just done. "You could have always done
that?" The woman spoke from behind her, amazed by
what she had just seen.

"Don't read too much into it, I don't think I
could have. Now do you leave or do I " She
turned to the woman, her eyes still in a rage.

A sad smile crossed the woman's face. "I
leave."

"Good." Tangye sighed, her head beating away
in a deafening rhythm. She wasn't really sure she had the
energy left to do it again.

"I won't ask for your forgiveness because we
don't deserve it. Just try to remember it wasn't always
like this." She seemed to have more she wanted to
say but also knew her words would not be heard and they
didn't deserve to be entertained. She reached out and
touched the side of her daughter's head. She saw the
reflex in Tangye to swipe away the touch, to recoil from
her. "Please just understand that I'm sorry."

"I do." She wasn't sure that was really
true. She didn't know anything anymore. Not about these
two. Where had all of this horror come from if it had not
always existed in their hearts? "But you're right I
can't forgive and I don't think I'll ever be able to. You
let this happen, let yourself be twisted. Why should I
forgive that?"

"You shouldn't." The woman admitted sadly,
hating the knowledge of what she had lost. "Do
yourself proud, you've made everyone else that."

"I will." She answered. Her voice for just a
moment was kind without thinking about it. This was her
mother she now looked at and she missed the true woman.

"Goodbye my angel, good luck. We won't watch over
you, I promise you that, others have clearly always done
a better job of protecting you. You're free of us
now." She quickly kissed her child and then vanished
before she could see the hate in Tangye's eyes one last
time. She left seeing her child relieved to hear the
promise that she made and intended to keep not the
reaction the kiss brought.

For a moment she smiled, it was finally over and then
she heard someone stir behind her. She turned quickly
dropping down beside Nick and gently touched his bruised
face, her smile vanishing.

"I'm so sorry for getting you involved in this.
You can forgive me can't you?" She pleaded.

"Nothing to forgive." He grinned, pushing
himself up against the wall.

"Look at your poor face." She gently touched
the bruise below his eye.

"Look at your beautiful one. Listen to your sweet
voice." He stroked his thumb along her throat. Being
with her seemed so natural.

She laughed suddenly and picked something up.
"Look at your poor phone." It had been
completely destroyed when he had hit the wall and it
slipped out of his pocket.

"Luckily that's replaceable." He didn't add
the thought in his mind. He had no reason to think she
heard his mind finish with 'unlike you.' The single
thought from him made her feel better then she had in
years.

"Without your help Nick I don't know if I could
have done it." She said shyly, looking down.

"You just needed a little push." He smiled
hoping to ease her discomfort.

"And some motivation." She nearly laughed to
think that indeed that was all it had taken. A stranger
presenting himself to them as a target foolishly and she
had finally managed to fight them.

*****

They had heard the screaming, they couldn't make out
the words but knew it was the voice of a young woman.
From behind him he heard Janet Albertson whisper,
"Tangye."

They all froze, staring up at the house waiting. Derek
lost track of time waiting, not knowing what else to do.
He just didn't seem able to force himself to move
forward, to do anything but hold his breath and watch the
now silent house.

Philip jumped back off the porch as soon as the door
started to open, not knowing what he expected to see come
through it. Moments later he was rushing back up the
steps to help.

Nick and Tangye stepped out onto the porch. Nick
leaning heavily upon the small woman, his face bruised
and bloody, and he was favoring one side. Philip grabbed
his arm and helped him down into the lawn, leaving the
woman alone in the doorway staring out into the sun.

It beat down upon her face for the first time in over
five years, she hadn't even really been given time to
think about how much she had missed that sensation. How
alive the warm rays could make her feel. So she just
stood soaking it in, eyes closed, face tilted upward to
the bright orb in the sky.

He stared at her in awe for a moment. She was the same
beautiful girl from the picture but now grown into a
woman. Despite the large purple and brown bruise on her
face it was clear how attractive she was. The girl from
his vision, the one from his dreams the past two nights.
She turned her face away from the sun and her eyes found
his. He was shocked by the clarity of the eyes. A
stunning blue gold like none he had seen before, eyes
that could tell stories with a glance, could distract one
from pain without effort. Eyes that no one would ever
forget.

Suddenly he realized that she was smiling at him.
"You didn't listen." She whispered, her voice
still hoarse from the lack of use for so long and the
yelling. He just shook his head. She came down off the
steps and to him. Hesitantly she wrapped her arms around
him, Janet's words coming back to him, 'that girl could
love anyone so willingly.' He hugged her back gently.
"Thank you for that."

"Oh my God, Tangye." Janet Albertson ran to
the girl pulling her into her arms, crying against her
hair. "I'm so sorry, what happened?" Tangye
shook her head, not sure how to answer, not sure what the
woman would believe. She knew that the men gathered would
all believe what she had to say. From what Nick had told
her they were used to this sort of thing. She knew Janet
loved her but wasn't sure the plausibility of the story
would be acceptable.

"Don't worry Aunt Janet, please don't." She
hesitated. "I need to get away from here. I can't
stay." She was shaking again. She looked around and
her eyes found Nick where he leaned against his friend
who was looking his injuries over. She seemed to gather a
bit of strength just looking at him.

"Tangye, you can come stay with us, on Angel
Island." His soft Dutch accented voice came from
behind her; she merely nodded her acquiescence. She
didn't want to run away from her neighbor but couldn't
stand in the shadow of the house much longer. She turned
to look up to it.

She had lied to her mother she now knew it. She did
not believe they were sorry not after all that happened
and she had no memory of happiness with them now. Even if
something in death had taken them over they had worn the
faces of her parents. She would never forget the hate
that she had learned to have for them. The way they had
erased every happy moment of her life. That robbery of
her life, the destruction of her past, could never be
forgiven. She had loved her parents more then anything
else in the world once, now she realized that none of
that was left for them. Perhaps they would have been
sorry, if they hadn't changed.

"Tan." Nick's hands fell on her shoulders;
she turned and buried her face into his chest. "Shh,
it's over now, I'm not going to let anything hurt you
again." He meant it, she knew it, and she also knew
he could never promise her such a thing. She had enough
hurt already. Pain she wouldn't be able to forget.
Something's he couldn't fight but only distract her from.
Still she felt a safety in his arms and allowed him to
keep her sheltered for the time.

*****

He looked at the young woman sitting in a chair across
the desk from him. She had her legs pulled up close to
her chest, hugging them with her thin arms. He was amazed
at how small she looked sitting there, how she was
forcing herself to take up as little space as possible.
He knew it was probably a defense mechanism, assuming she
felt the less room she took up the better the chance was
that she could be overlooked.

The strength and resolve she had slowly had been
slipping away as she was forced to face the reality of
the situation. He knew she could not just easily accept
that it was all over, that she had lost so much. Her
light, bright eyes darted around the room, looking for
something that no one else would be able to see,
something he hoped that she didn't find. Her eyes were so
scared; they countered the strength that he sensed within
her. The strength he knew she had to have because she had
survived and defeated her tormentors.

She looked at him and shot him a brief little grin, a
grin he could already fell himself being drawn into. He
wasn't sure how to describe it but he was sure that this
young woman was meant to come into their lives, and more
importantly to stay in them. Charles had said that she
was theirs now and he only wished he could thank the man
for that gift.

He had sent Rachel home, deciding it would be better
to allow Tangye the time to get comfortable in the
castle. She could have the talk with Rachel at anytime,
though he knew it should be soon. First, though, she had
to understand that she was safe here and the young man
hovering over her shoulder seemed to enforce that idea.

Her voice was calm when she finally found it.
"I've always been able to see them, spirits that is.
Ever since I was a child, my parents knew that. For some
reason, these remnants of lives can't hide from me. My
parents knew they could come to me and I wouldn't be able
to ignore them. I don't think they intended to hurt me at
first, but over time something in them
changed " She averted her eyes, staring down at
her lap. Derek decided it was better to allow the subject
to drop for the time being, there was time enough for her
to face the past. But what she said interested him.

"You mean you can see all spirits?" He asked
leaning forward in his seat. She was mixed between her
old comfort with her talents and the new found fear she
had developed since discovering the horror it could also
bring into her life.

"No way of knowing that for sure. The ones I see
may just be closer to the earth, holding on for some
reason. But I see them all over the place just like
people except they're a little hazy." She shook at
that word remembering just what it had come to mean.
"My childhood was littered with them. They seemed to
seek me out or I was drawing them too me without knowing
it. Nick told me though that you know about all that.
That my make believe friends weren't just an overactive
imagination. That made me so mad when I was a kid, that
no one would believe me. I just never knew why it was
happening to me and no one else."

"I think I might be able to help you with those
answers. You aren't alone in what you can see though from
what you've described your talent is rare. You see in
most cases these spirits can only be seen if they choose
to be by someone." She nodded. "How do you
think you drew them to you?"

"I was told once that I could think
outward." She replied knowing it made little sense
but wanting to judge their reaction first. Neither of
them seemed to doubt her words, which relaxed her though
she did see that they were possibly impressed.

"I'm sorry?" Derek's eyebrows rose. She was
captivating with her beauty and her honest eyes. He
wanted to learn about her, hear her.

"I hear them in my head and I talk to them the
same way, I just push it out to them." She smiled
when he nodded his understanding. She could tell that he
believed her without hesitation and that was a first in
her life. Everyone had always tried to deny what she said
she was capable of. Everyone living anyway, but this man
just accepted her words.

"I heard your warning, though, at first I only
got a sense of the need to leave. That night I heard your
words though." She nodded shyly averting her eyes
again. She felt guilty for doing it, for the invasion and
Derek felt a swell of anger towards whoever had done that
to her. "It's alright Tangye, you were trying to
protect us."

"Didn't work." She whispered looking up at
Nick's bruised face. Most of the swelling had gone down
but he still had some light bruises across one cheek,
under one eye, and a third on his jaw. He squeezed her
hand, which found his easily, to let her know it was
okay.

"We also didn't listen. We wanted to help you
Tangye. I know that you have a lot to face, to figure
out, and I'd like to make you an offer." He had been
sure from the moment that she explained what happened
that he had to keep her close. He remembered clearly the
way he had felt the first time he had met every member of
the house, like he needed them, and Tangye returned that
emotion to him.

"What is it?" She let her feet slide back
down to the floor.

"I would like it if you stayed here, on Angel
Island until you are able to make decisions about what
you want to do in the future. Not as a test subject mind
you, just as a friend. You can stay as long as you need
to " Derek's voice was sincere and he hoped she
took his offer seriously.

"And even longer if you like." Nick brushed
her hair back from her face and smiled at her. Her blue
gold eyes fell on both of them and finally that
unforgettable smile broke across her face. The relief he
felt knowing she would stay surprised Derek.

*****

Hours later Derek sat in his office with his journal.
Tangye had gotten settled in to one of the rooms and was
now attempting to get some sleep, as was everyone else in
the house. There would be much to do in the upcoming
days. Dealing with her pain and getting her to feel
comfortable was just the first thing. The Gaarlihn estate
would also have to be handled and Derek had already set
his lawyers to work on that task. Then there was the fact
that Philip had once again returned and the inevitable
fallout that would cause with Nick. It would be an
arduous few days or even possibly weeks so he felt the
need to get his journal done with now, record the events
that had brought Tangye Mauveen Gaarlihn back to the
Legacy after three generations.

'He told me that she needed only one thing from me to
escape. That I should know what it was from what I had
learned about her. The fear I felt for Nick overwhelmed
me for so long though when I should have been dawning on
the truth. She needed for someone else to be their victim
to be able to act. It was seeing Nick at risk that had
forced her into action. Her concern that we would even
become involved had been the first step, but only with
Nick's life at stake could she push them away completely.
Only then did she find the power she needed to defeat
them. The Legacy was formed to protect the innocent but
in this case it had to be the innocent for success. I
can't describe it but I feel that she belongs here, that
she has much to offer us as an organization and more
importantly a family. I just wish I could thank the man
that arranged her homecoming.'